The main goal of the Career Development Program is to prepare new investigators for independent careers in lung cancer research. It is expected that Career Development Awardees will spend between two and four years in a productive scientific environment, after which time they will establish independent programs in research related to lung cancer, either at institutions affiliated with the University of Colorado Lung Cancer SPORE or another institution. The Career Development committee annually reviews the progress of each awardee by receiving reports and by discussions with the awardee and the awardee's mentor. The Career Development committee also solicits applications for new awardees. This is done by campus-wide mailings and on some occasions by national letters and journal advertisements. Applicants complete a written application that is reviewed by the committee and the committee also interviews the applicants. The committee makes recommendations to the SPORE Executive Committee which makes final selection and determines the amount of the award in consultation with the applicant and mentor. Institutional funds are used to increase the award amounts above those provided by the grant. For the renewal period we are requesting $50,000 annually. This will be matched with up to $50,000 of institutional funds to provide an average of $50,000 to each of two awardees per year. We believe the program has been successful. Since its inception in 1993, the SPORE has provided support to 20 awardees. Nine of these continue to work on lung cancer. In addition, three other awardees continue scientific investigation in industry and two are academic laboratory investigators. One awardee is in private practice and one retired to care for her family. Three of the awardees are from underrepresented minority groups and 7 are female. No major changes are anticipated in the program with the exception of an increase in the award amounts.